Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat
Credit: PTI File Photo
Varanasi (UP): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday participated in a mass wedding ceremony in Varanasi, performing the traditional 'kanyadaan' (giving away of the bride) of a tribal woman.
The woman Rajvanti belonged to Jogidih in the Sonbhadra district.
The event, organised on the occasion of 'Akshaya Tritiya' near the Shankuldhara pond, was part of a large-scale marriage celebration in which 125 couples tied the knot.
According to the organisers, the mass wedding was aimed at promoting social harmony, with brides and grooms from various castes -- upper castes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Scheduled Castes -- sharing a common platform.
In a symbolic gesture of unity, the RSS chief performed 'kanyadaan' for Rajvanti, who was married to Aman, a tribal youth from Renukoot.
Bhagwat performed all the traditional rituals, including washing the bride's feet and offering blessings like a father figure, organisers said.
The wedding procession of all 125 brides and grooms began from Shankuldhara pond and proceeded with traditional music, drums, and fireworks to the historic Dwarkadhish temple, where the religious rites were conducted. All communities took part in the rituals, with one priest from each social group presiding over different wedding. Bhagwat himself remained seated at one of them.